Player action



- I J. P. HULDER PLAYER ACTION Filed Nov; 5 1921 J J r- 2 z 'cfgftay I D TT 8 TTTI'T'T" 4 4 'INVENTOR Jagdz.Z//qldcr Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH P. HULDER, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.,

lASSIG-NOR TO THE UNIT PLAYER- ACTION CO., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PLAYER ACTION.

Application filed November 5, 1921,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrnt P. HULDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, county of? Bronx, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Player Actions, 01" which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in playenactions and particularly to an improved finger for operatively connecting the player pneumatics with a piano action.

The object of the invention is to provide a player action with pliable metal fingers which can be readily bent to conform to the scale of a piano action.

This invention enables me to provide a standard type of player action which can readily be spaced to fit any scale and which can conveniently be installed for use in any piano.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a transverse ver ical section of a part of a player-piano embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a detached striker arm or" the player action, and

Figure 3 is a plan view looking down on several of the striker-arms The striker-arms, to which this invention relates, comprises a rigid member 1, preterably made of wood and of substantially L-shape, and a pliable metal linger 2 pivoted in a slot 3 in the angle of the striker arm. The finger 2 is furnished with a regulating screw i that passes through an opening in the vertical arm of the member 1, and with a button 5 that operatively engages a suitable part of the piano action, preferably one end of the wippen.

The portion 1 of each striker-arm is pivoted at 6 in a bearing block 7 detachably secured to a fixed horizontal support 8, and is connected by a link 9 with the rigid arm 10 of the corresponding striker pneumatic 11.

In practise, I provide player actions having 96 striker-arms and a corresponding number of striker neumatics. The strikerarms are preferably arranged in a horizontal row extending lengthwise oi the piano case, with a slight, uniform, spacing between adjacent striker-arms. The corresponding striker pneumatics are disposed in tiers as usual in such actions.

The scale of a piano-action has 88 notes which are differently grouped in the various Serial No. 513,030.

makes of pianos. In installing my player action, eight of the striker-arms are removed. Certain of them being removed to allow clearance for the piano braces, etc, and other as required in the o1 eration of spacin the fingers to conform to the scale of the piano action.

When, in spacing, any finger 2 is required to be bent more than half of the distance between the striker-arm which carries said finger and the adjacent striker-arm, then the latter is removed and the finger of the succeeding unit is bent in the opposite direction, as indicated in Figure After the fingers of all of the strikerarms have been spaced properly, the strikerarms are bodily adjusted, by means of the usual adjusting screws 12, so that their movement will correspond to that of the piano action. Finer adjustment of each individual finger is provided for by means oi the regulating screws 4:.

While I have described the best mode in which I intend to apply my invention, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein.

Having described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a piano action, a player action including striker neumatics, a series of pivoted striker-arms each connected to move with a striker pneumatic, and a laterally pliable finger carried on each strikcrarm and movz ble therewith to actuate a corresponding unit of the piano action.

2. In combination, a piano action, a play r action including striker pneumatics, a series of pivoted striker-arms each detachably (301inected to move with a striker pneumatic and each demountably secured to a support, and a laterally pliable finger carried on each striker-arm and movable therewith to actuate a corresponding unit of the piano action.

3. In combination, a piano action, a player action including striker pneumatics, a series of pivoted striker-arms each connected to move with a striker pneumatic, a laterally pliable finger pivoted on each striker-arm and movable therewith to actuate a corresponding unit of the piano action, and means carried by each striker-arm for vertically adjusting its companion finger.

e. In combination, a piano action, a player action including striker pneumatics, a series of pivoted striker-arms each connected to llU move with a striker pneumatic, a laterally pliable finger pivoted on each striker-arm and movable therewith to actuate a corresponding unit of the piano action, means for regulating the vertical movement of each striker arm, and means for independently adjusting each finger vertically with respect to its companion striker-arm.

5. In combination, a piano action, a player action including striker pneumatics, a series of striker-arms each of substantially L- shape pivoted at its angle in a support and connected to move with a striker pneumatic, a laterally pliable finger pivoted in a vertical slot in the angle of each strikenarm and having its free end bearing against a part of the corresponding unit of the piano action, and means carried on each striker-arm for vertically adjusting its companion finger.-

6. In a player action the combination of a support, a series of pivoted vertically movable striker-arms each demountably secured to the support, and a laterally pliable finger carried on each striker-arm and vertically movable therewith.

7. In a player action the combination of a support, a. series of pivoted vertically movable striker-arms each demountably secured to thesupport, a laterally pliable finger pivotally mounted on each striker-arm, and means carried by each striker-arm for vertically adjusting its companion finger.

8. An element for operatively connecting a unit of a player action with a corresponding unit of a piano action, comprising a vertically movable pivoted rigid member, and a laterally pliable member carried thereon for movement therewith.

9. An element for operatively connecting a unit of a player action With a corresponding unit of a piano action, comprising a vertically movable pivoted rigid member, a laterally pliable member pivotally mounted thereon tormovement therewith, and means for adjusting the pliable member vertically with respect to the rigid member.

10. Anelement for operatively connecting a unit of a player action with a corresponding unit of a piano action, comprising a substantially L-shaped rigid member having a slot in the plane of its angle, a laterally pliable finger pivotally mounted in said slot, and a regulating screw carried by the rigid member for vertically adjusting the pliable finger with respect to said member.

JOSEPH P. HULDER. 

